Luke Appling vs Sam Rice: Career Stats Comparison
Sam Rice has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Luke Appling played 1930–1950 as a hitter; Sam Rice played 1915–1934 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Luke Appling (1930–1950) and Sam Rice (1915–1934) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Luke Appling finished with 2,749 hits and 45 home runs; Sam Rice finished with 2,987 hits and 34 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Luke Appling, with 45 to Sam Rice's 34.
- Who had the higher OPS? Sam Rice, with .801 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Sam Rice, with .322 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits? Sam Rice, with 2,987 to Luke Appling's 2,749.
- Who drove in more runs? Luke Appling, with 1,116 to Sam Rice's 1,078.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Luke Appling, with 25,114 career PIV to Sam Rice's 18,800.
- Who won more championships? Sam Rice, with 1 World Series title to Luke Appling's 0.
Luke Appling
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Luke Appling and Sam Rice. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1930s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Luke Appling | Sam Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,422 | 2,404 |
| At-Bats | 8,856 | Leads: 9,269 |
| Runs | 1,319 | Leads: 1,514 |
| Hits | 2,749 | Leads: 2,987 |
| Doubles | 440 | Leads: 498 |
| Triples | 102 | Leads: 184 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 45 | 34 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,116 | 1,078 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,302 | 708 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 528 | 275 |
| Stolen Bases | 179 | Leads: 351 |
| Batting Avg | .310 | Leads: .322 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .399 | .374 |
| Slugging % | .398 | Leads: .427 |
| OPS | .798 | Leads: .801 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Luke Appling outpaces Sam Rice 25,114 to 18,800 — driven by per-season impact — 1,256 PIV per season to 940 — rather than by longevity, since Luke Appling played 20 seasons to Sam Rice's 20. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Luke Appling — top 3 seasons by OPS
Sam Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sam Rice leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Luke Appling owns home runs, RBI, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sam Rice. Note that PIV actually grades Luke Appling ahead, which means Sam Rice's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Luke Appling and Sam Rice careers compare
Luke Appling and Sam Rice were active at the same time between 1930 and 1934. With 2,422 games against 2,404 across 20 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Luke Appling walked more often than struck out (1,302 walks, 528 strikeouts); Sam Rice walked more often than struck out (708 walks, 275 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Luke Appling's hits: 45 of 2,749 for Luke Appling, 34 of 2,987 for Sam Rice. On the bases, Sam Rice stole more often per game played (179 steals in 2,422 games for Luke Appling, 351 in 2,404 for Sam Rice).
Luke Appling vs Sam Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luke Appling or Sam Rice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sam Rice leads Luke Appling in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Luke Appling or Sam Rice hit more home runs?
- Luke Appling, with 45 to Sam Rice's 34.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Sam Rice, with .801 to Luke Appling's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Sam Rice, with .322 to Luke Appling's .310.
- Who had more hits?
- Sam Rice, with 2,987 to Luke Appling's 2,749.